


You're All I Ever Needed

by Dreamin



Series: Politics & Pleasure [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Marriage Proposal, past Brynden/Shiera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 19:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30093894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Alysanne had no idea the thing that had her boyfriend, the great Brynden Rivers, so worried was her.
Relationships: Brynden "Bloodraven" Rivers/Alysanne Stark
Series: Politics & Pleasure [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2222163
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	You're All I Ever Needed

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is me pairing Brynden Rivers with Alysanne Stark, the daughter of Beron Stark and Lorra Royce. The only canon information about her comes from the Stark family tree in _The World of Ice & Fire_. She's a contemporary of Brynden (going by the earliest possible year of her birth listed at "A Wiki of Ice and Fire") and I just really don't like Shiera (sorry, Brynden/Shiera fans), so why not?
> 
> This is set in modern London. Instead of being king, Aerys Targaryen is the prime minister and the party he leads took his name, just as the rival Blackfyre Party took its name from the Blackfyres. This is set a year after this world's version of the Second Blackfyre Rebellion.
> 
> I wrote this to please myself but I hope my readers like it too, and I have a prequel planned.

Alysanne looked up from her laptop to see her practically live-in boyfriend Brynden leaning against her kitchen counter, brooding (or as she considered it, his default mood). She felt it was her gods-given role to alleviate his dark moods whenever possible, even if their rare shared lunches didn’t leave her much time. “What is it this time?” she asked, grinning. “Photo op at a creche? Another chance for Aerys to press the flesh with the working-class voters?” Brynden’s role as the PM’s right hand meant that he was often just out of sight of the cameras whenever Aerys Targaryen was on TV.

“None of the above,” he muttered. “I at least know what to do in those situations, this one is entirely new.” It killed him, she knew, to admit he was out of his depth. After so many years of politics and the military before that, there was little he hadn’t already done.

She got up from the kitchen table and approached him. “Hey,” she murmured as she wrapped her arms around his waist and he reflexively did the same. “Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll handle it brilliantly, you always do.”

“Your confidence never fails to amaze me,” he admitted, smiling a bit. “However, this is one situation where failure is practically inevitable.”

“Even for the White Dragon of Downing Street?” she teased gently, using the most complimentary of the nicknames the press had given him. “I don’t believe it.”

Brynden chuckled sardonically. “I’m not invincible, Alysanne.”

“Ooo, my full name,” she said, grinning excitedly. “You really are worried, aren’t you?” He normally only used her full name when he was lecturing her, something he often felt necessary, given their ten-year age gap. She didn’t mind, she found it amusing. Alysanne kissed him softly then murmured, finally serious, “Brynden, whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll conquer it like you do everything else, then we’ll celebrate.” She grinned. “And if not, at least you still have me, such as I am, and I’ll comfort you.”

“You’re worth more than any political conquest,” he said sincerely, one hand coming up to cup her cheek. “I thought you knew that.”

“It never hurts to be reminded.” She kissed him softly again. “So, when is this thing, or can’t you tell me?” She was used to only knowing the public side of his career. Some secrets had to be kept just that.

“Tonight.”

That surprised her. “At the party?” It was another political fundraiser, the perfect place for people to network and make deals.

“Just after.”

 _There go my plans for necking in the back of the limo on the way home._ “Okay,” she said, keeping her disappointment from showing. “We can meet back here, it’s closer to the hotel.”

He nodded then kissed her deeply. Brynden didn’t initiate kisses often outside of the bedroom, but when he did, it made her heart soar and this was no different.

* * *

Alysanne didn’t mind parties. If nothing else, they were good for people-watching. She didn’t even mind politics – she knew how important a functioning government was to the country. She just wished people at this kind of party would talk about something else, anything else. _Oscar Wilde was wrong, or maybe these people are just boring._ Alysanne smiled to herself as she sipped her champagne, her eyes on Brynden, who was halfway across the ballroom, shaking hands and masterfully acting in the role of a people person. With his well-tailored black tuxedo, his long white hair in a queue, and the black eyepatch he wore in public, he looked to her like a sexy corporate pirate. _Not that I’d tell him that,_ she thought, grinning. He must have felt her ogling him for he flashed her a grin before turning to the next local MP.

 _He hates his part so much,_ she thought, smiling to herself. _He’ll be so tense when he gets home and I can’t wait to relax him._

“As soon as I saw Brynden was here,” said a sweetly malicious voice behind her, “I knew you wouldn’t be far.”

Steeling her nerves with a deep breath, Alysanne turned to see Brynden’s ex-girlfriend Shiera Seastar, champagne glass in one hand and a vintage grey fox stole over one shoulder. She was dressed in her typical fashion – a silvery, shimmery evening gown that left hardly anything to the imagination, her trademark emerald-and-sapphire necklace, and her trademark smirk.

Alysanne pasted on a smile. “Shiera, hello.” She couldn’t resist a barb of her own. “If you’re looking for the Blackfyre Party, you’re in the wrong country. France is that way.” She jutted her thumb eastward. After their embarrassing loss at the polls the year before, the Blackfyres had left England for France, but they promised to return and lead England the “right” way. “Aegor must miss you.”

Shiera raised an eyebrow. “We both know Aegor isn’t the most interesting Rivers brother.”

“Funny, that’s not what Brynden says you said when he rejected you after you left him the last time.” Alysanne grinned. “I should thank you for leaving him so many times, by the way. If you hadn’t, he wouldn’t have found me.”

“Yes,” Brynden said as he approached them and wrapped a possessive arm around Alysanne’s middle. “I certainly traded up. Hello, Shiera,” he said, his tone cold underneath the false cheer. “Your name wasn’t on the guest list and I should know, I wrote it.”

“A momentary oversight, I’m sure,” Shiera said as she gave him what Alysanne assumed was supposed to be a winning smile. “I’m back in London-”

“Obviously,” Alysanne muttered.

Shiera ignored her. “This time for good.”

“And what about Aegor?” Brynden asked, sounding completely unconvinced.

Shiera smirked. “A girl can’t eat auroch every day, now can she? She needs a little variety.”

“You’ll have to find your variety somewhere else, I’m afraid,” Brynden said disinterestedly. A slow song started and he turned to lead Alysanne to the dance floor.

Shiera grabbed his arm. “You traded down, Brynden. A Stark, really? And not even the pretty Stark sister.”

If there was one thing that still pushed Alysanne’s buttons, it was being negatively compared to her older sister. “You made your choice and so did he,” she said coldly.

“I made the wrong choice,” Shiera protested, sounding more like a bratty teenager than a thirtysomething woman.

“I didn’t,” Brynden said firmly as he removed her hand from his arm. “Leave, Shiera, before I have you escorted out.” He nodded to two nearby security guards then he led Alysanne to the dance floor.

She grinned up at him as they started to dance. “You’re my knight in tarnished armor and I love you for it.”

He blushed so faintly it was barely noticeable. “You had the situation well in hand, I merely helped things along.” He sighed quietly. “She shouldn’t have been allowed in. I will find the hole in our security, this won’t happen again.”

“I know,” she assured him gently. “She didn’t upset me, she just annoyed me.”

He gave her one of his rare soft smiles, the kind that was more in his gaze than on his lips. “You’re worth ten of her. Twelve.”

Alysanne smirked. “What’s twelve of nothing?”

Brynden barked out a laugh as she giggled.

Two hours later, the party was winding down. Alysanne turned to Brynden, murmuring, “I’ll let you go do whatever it is.” She kissed his cheek, right on the “wing” of his birthmark, then murmured, “See you later” and was about to walk away when he grabbed her hand.

“Aly…”

She smiled at him reassuringly. “It’s alright, I know you can’t tell me what it is.” Alysanne gave his hand three small squeezes before letting go and heading for the doors.

A cab ride and a hot shower later, she was curled up on the sofa in her sitting room with a cup of herbal tea and _The Witcher_ on Netflix. _Ah, Geralt of Rivia, the other white-haired man in my life._

She was just dozing off when Brynden came in, scowling as he untied his bow tie, his jacket and eyepatch already gone. _I know that look,_ she thought as she sat up. “Get changed, I’ll make popcorn and we can watch _Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy_ again.” The movie bored her to tears but it was one of his favorites so she kept her opinions to herself whenever they watched it. “You’ll feel better in no time.”

“I appreciate the offer,” he said, “but put it on hold – I haven’t lost yet.”

It was her turn to scowl, this time in confusion. “Then what-”

“You left before I could tell you.” He stared to pace in front of her, reminding her of how they met, back when he had been living undercover as Maynard. “I know I’m no one’s dream man. Even Shiera at her most flattering called me a fright and incredibly dull.”

Alysanne was even more confused. “Wait, your battle is with me? And I thought you were done putting yourself down.”

He stopped pacing to look at her. “There’s a difference between insults and facts, Alysanne.”

“Yeah, and you’re confusing the two.” She got up then gently took his hands. “What is this about?”

Brynden sighed heavily then muttered “Seven help me” before slowly getting down on one knee in front of her.

Alysanne gasped. “Brynden-”

“Please, Aly, let me at least ask the question before you reject me.” He laughed weakly. “After trying this so many times with Shiera, you’d think I’d be a master at it by now.” He looked up at her, his heart fully in his gaze. “But then, I never loved her nearly as much as I love you. I can offer you all that I have, which is considerable, and all that I am, which isn’t much, but I hope that together, they are enough.” He looked down at their still-joined hands. “Will you marry me, Aly?”

Overjoyed, she knelt down in front of him, much to his obvious surprise. “What made you think you’d lose this battle? I’m not Shiera – I know what kind of man you are. Not quite perfect, not quite good, but certainly the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. Yes, Brynden ‘Bloodraven’ Rivers, I will marry you.” She grinned. “Happily, I might add.”

He stared at her for a heartbeat before taking her face in his hands and kissing her deeply. She kissed him back then pulled back, giggling, when they needed air.

‘It’s funny,” he said as he pulled a black velvet ring box out of his trouser pocket. “I never bought a ring for Shiera. I suppose I knew deep down that she’d never have me. But this ring I bought the day after our third date, I was that certain.” He opened the box, revealing a round grey diamond on a white gold band.

Alysanne grinned at him. “I love it! Did you mean to buy a diamond the same color as my eyes?”

He chuckled as he removed the ring from the box then slipped it onto her left ring finger. “Not until I saw this one at the jeweler’s.”

She took a moment to admire it in the light before smirking at him. “You know who we should tell first?”

He smirked back. “Shiera?”

“Exactly.”

“And we will, tomorrow. But first…” He stood then helped her to her feet. “It’s time to celebrate.”

Alysanne chuckled. “You should know where the bedroom is by now.”

“Indeed, I do.” With that, he picked her up easily and carried her bridal style into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.


End file.
